Sparking igniter for gas-engines.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906 H. A. JOHNSTON. SPARKING IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION ILILED MAR-8, 1905.

n'Nirnn srA'rns PAT NT OFFICE.

HABRYVAA. JOHNSTON, or s N FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 'AssIGNoR To assesses eAs ENGINE WORKS, A CORPORATION or CALIFORNIA.

, SPARKING lGNlTE-R FOR en's-ENGINES.

No. ceases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 20, 1906.

Application fil d March-8, 1905. 'SerialNo. 249.036.

To all whom, it may concern:

'Ignitersfor Gas-Engines Be it known that I, HARRY A. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, inthe county ofSan Francisco and Stateof California, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Sparking of which the following is a specification; A A

My invention relates to as and vapor engines, and more particular y to' electrical I igniters or sparking devices for such engines.

construction with fewer :the efficiency of the device by such simplifying of the construction and such reductlon The object of my invention is to 'rovide a sparking device which will not on y be 'efiir clent in 'operation; but'reliable, and which will-not be subject to intermissions and failures inoperation.

Another ob 'ect is to provide a more simple arts and to increase the force of the spring, so that such sprin can act u on the movable electrode an close the clrcuit, while the return of said stop to its normal osition causes the circuit to be broken shar y and positively, producing'the spark. Suc an embodiment of my invention isshown in the accompanying drawings, I

in which A Figure 1 is a top plan showing the support ing and operatin parts of the igniteroutside the engine-cylin er. Fig. 2 is an elevation of ,the end of the cylinder, broken'away to show ,the parts related to the lgniter in section.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the casting which supports the .igniter members. Fi 4. is a perspective view of the-arm by whic the oscillating electrode is controlled. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the igniter-casting looking from the'top of the sheet toward Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1 represents a gas-engine cylinder of either orizontal or vertical t e, and 2 is a supporting-plate bolted upon t e outside thereof.' This plate has an opening in line with an opening in the cylin er, as

-2 omitted. The casting 4 has rim 3, which surrounds said opening and forms a seat for the igniter-casting 4. I Itis can-be evident, however, that the said cast ng secured directly to the cylinder and t e plate hooked lugs 5, through which bots 6 ass into the cylinder-head and are. secure by nuts 7 After loosening these nuta-the casta ing, with all the parts carried by it, can be removed bodily and replace'd without taking casting is bored thro'ufgh to'receiv'e the pin 8,"

which is insulated om said casting as shown in Fig. 2, and the lower end ofwhich rojects into the opening in the cylinder.

outer end and is adapted to be connected to one of the wires from a suitable generator.

Y shown in Fig. 2, and'is providedwitha raised t 5 off the nuts or detaching the bolts. The

At its lower end it carries an electrode-9 preferablyof platinum and having a that end.

the casting, which bore is formed in a projection 10, extending intothe cylinder; The lower endof pin 11 is slotted to'lreceive and hold the arm 12, carrying theterminal electrode 13, whichis similar to the electrode 9 and is ada ted to meet it squarely,so that.

at faces can come into contact On the upper end of the pin 11 is secured a projecting arm 14. An 85 f the two I throughout their area.

oscillating (pin 15 is movable in a bore. of the casting an .face which normally bears against a correcarries an arm 16, having a flat 17 his pin isheld stationary by'a nut atrits An oscillating-pin 11 is mounted in a bore of sponding surface of the arm 14,-as clearly 4 shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of 15 is threaded and carries a milled Washer. 17, vto which is connectedone endof a spring 18,

coiled upon the pin and having its other end I connected ,to the arm -14.

The washer 17 is a tension-regulator for the spring and is held at any adjustmentfor tension by a nut 19. The arm 16 ha's'a projection 21, which is rounded on its under 'side, as shown in Figs. 4 and -5'.; -This'projec tionis struck'at proper intervals by a cam 22, shown as carried by a disk 23 ongthe rotary shaft 24. The said-disk hasfits'face -always in contact with'theprojection; soas to limit 1 the movement thereof. This shaft ,is driven,' through suit'able'gearing;b .a shaft 25, which is connected in any desire manner to the engine-shaftor any part}.operated by the latter, soas torevolve and cause the cam-;-

1 upon which cam has passed,

disk to revolve at the proper relative speed to time the ignition.

The single spring 18 performs a double function, which in igniters of this class have been performed by two se arate springswhich tend to neutralize each 0t er, and hence deprive the igniter of that sharp positive action which is so necessary for regular and successful s arking. The spring 18 is not only connecte with oscillating in 15, but also with the oscillating electro e-pin 11, and both pins are alwa s under tension. The normal tension pulls the arms 14 and 16 together and separates the electrodes, as shown in the drawings. The tension upon arm 14 always tends to move the pin 11 and would do so did not arm 16, pressure is opposite, rect stop. When the cam acts uponarm 16, the latter is moved away'from arm 14 and permits the spring to exert its tension upon said arm and bring the movable electrode into momentary contact with the fixed electrode, Arm 1.6 having the pressurev of the whole coil upon it snaps back as soon as the strikes and forces back arm 14, and breaks the contact, which produces the spark. Thus the single spring performs two separate functions without any tendency found in practical toward a neutralization of its power at any time, for, first, its normal tension keeps the arms 14 and 16 in contact and the electrodes ,a art, and, secondly, owing to the connec t1on of the spring tion of such arms compels the electrodes to close and keep them forcibly closed while the cam is acting and subse uently closesthe arms again and opens the e ectrodes. I have use of this device that sparking is regular and reliable without intermissions or failures. I

act as a dif to both arms, the separa- I It will be noted that the electrodes have l plane flat faces whichare brought into con- 1 tact throughout their meeting areas by a powerful pressure. This pressure and thecontact of flat meeting faces breaks and l loosens any depositof carbonand tends to 1 keep such deposits from forming. 1 l I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement herein described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, as I desire to avail myself of all modifications and equivalents as fall properly within the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Letters Patent, is

In an igniter, a stationary electrode, a movable electrode, a rocking arm 14 connected with the movable electrode, an oscillating pin journaled in proximity to said rocking q-arm, helical spring encirclin i one end connected to t 1e arm 14, means adjustably connecting the other end to said pin, said springexerting tension on both'the arm 14 and the pin, a projection on the arm 1 16, and a disk rotating with its face in conl tact with said projection to limit the movement thereof and having a cam projection for rocking the arm 16, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have allixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of February, 1905.

1 what I claim as new, and desire to secure by said pin and having HARRY A. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses: l L. W. SEELY, CELESTE ANSELL.

an arm 16 rigidly carried by saidpin, a 

